1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to winders used in the papermaking industry for the continuous production of successively wound rolls of paper. More particularly, this invention relates to a method for cross-cutting the paper web utilizing a skip-slitting laser, applying an adhesive to the trailing and leading edges of the cross-cut paper web, and applying the trailing edge to the previously wound roll and the leading edge to a new core. Still more particularly, this invention relates to the method of effecting a set change in a winder wherein the web cross-cutting apparatus, the adhesive application apparatus and the adhesive activation apparatus are located upstream of the first winder drum, and the web severance is after the skip-slitting operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In prior winders in the papermaking field, the various functions of severing the web in the cross-machine direction, adhering the trailing edge of the severed paper web to the previously wound roll, and adhering the leading edge of the severed web to a new core, or reel spool, have not been especially well coordinated. Equipment is known, for example, for urging the previously wound roll of paper off of its support on a two-drum winder while coordinating paper web. Finally, various mechanical means are known for severing the paper web while the web is either supported on one of the winder drums or is stretched in a taut span above a horizontal plane through the axes of a two-drum winder.
However, while the individual functions of severing the web in the cross-machine direction, introducing a new core into an initial position relative to the winder drums, and applying glue to the trailing and leading edges of the severed web are known in the art, all of these important aspects of a winder set change have not heretofore been coordinated in a winder which does not require one or more of these functions be done by apparatus mounted between and/or below the winder drums. Thus, in prior apparatus for cross-cutting the web in a two-drum winder, such as shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,855 (Schonmeier et. al.), a cross-cutting knife must pass upwardly between the two winder drums to sever the web while the web is held against the surface of one winder drum. In Okubo et.al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,654, apparatus is shown and described which urges a wound roll of paper out of the winder while simultaneously inserting a new core, but the web is also severed by a knife moving upwardly from beneath the two support drums. Adhesive is applied to two spaced regions on the web supported on the top of one of the winder drums which requires that the previously wound roll be removed before the adhesive is applied.
In Dropczynski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,979, a pivoted apparatus is utilized for ejecting the previously wound roll, severing the web and attaching the severed web onto a new core. All of this activity takes place by apparatus which must pivot about a winder drum and mechanically sever the web and attach the leading edge onto a non-rotating core.
Thus, in the prior art, all of the elements of a winder set change were either not provided in the same apparatus, or the apparatus was cumbersome to the extent that it required equipment to be located beneath the winder drums, where it could not be serviced easily, or it was attached to pivoted arms which were also used to move a wound roll out of the winder, or to insert a new core, or both. This also is cumbersome in that it requires all of the equipment to be shut down when only one of the component parts providing a specific function needs to be serviced.